Report from Base Camp Alpha

It's day four on the couch for me and this cold I found. Honestly, I'm not terribly ill. I have my appetite and can still make runs out to the shops for supplies all on my own. My job allows me to work from home, so I've been doing that while I ride this out. I hope taking it easy will encourage the cold to grow bored and wander off. Thus far, it's mostly been moving around instead.

It started on Sunday afternoon as a headache and sniffle. By Monday it had grown into a low fever, some sneezing, and a whole lot of nose blowing. On Tuesday evening it had mostly left my sinuses and manifested as a throat full of phlegm and fire which kept me up all night. Wednesday's symptoms featured aches and fatigue with the beginnings of a raspy cough. Today my muscles feel like dried up rubber-bands. I am not coughing much, but when I do, it comes from deep in my chest.

On the whole, it hasn't been terrible. I'm reasonably comfortable given the circumstances, though I so much want to get away from this damn couch. I've spent most of the week lying here, staring at computers. I want off already.

Suggested reading...

Recycling Chaos In U.S. As China Bans 'Foreign Waste' - The U.S. exports about one-third of its recycling, and nearly half goes to China. For decades, China has used recyclables from around the world to supply its manufacturing boom. But this summer it declared that this "foreign waste" includes too many other nonrecyclable materials that are "dirty," even "hazardous." In a filing with the World Trade Organization the country listed 24 kinds of solid wastes it would ban "to protect China's environmental interests and people's health." (NPR)

The High Cost of Prescription Drugs in the United States - Per capita prescription drug spending in the United States exceeds that in all other countries, largely driven by brand-name drug prices that have been increasing in recent years at rates far beyond the consumer price index...High drug prices are the result of the approach the United States has taken to granting government-protected monopolies to drug manufacturers, combined with coverage requirements imposed on government-funded drug benefits. (JAMA)

The End of American Prison Visits: Jails End Face-to-Face Contact – and Families Suffer - Under the new system, in-person visits are no longer allowed. Instead, all visits now must be done by video, either from a smartphone, computer, or at an offsite location...Under the new system, each video visit made from home costs $12.99 for 20 minutes. In-person visits used to be free. This shift also raises a legal question: is in-person visitation an inmate’s legal right? (The Guardian)